NCHaunts FrightSeekers

Submitted by: handfulofrubies82Date attended: October 3rd, 2009{potential spoilers for those not looking for ANY detail}Scare Factor 3.9/5 - I did jump several times, and not many places elicit that response. Maybe amp up the vampires.

Actors 3.8/5 - It seems like everyone enjoyed their characters. They were very in my face, actively engaging me. Tone down the raunchy behavior in the hayride. Not everyone wants to have breasts jiggled in their face.

Set Design/Props/FX 5/5 - All the sets are decorated well. The only setback was with the theater, but that might have been temporary , I don't know.Length 4.75/5 - Good length, and this year the lines were better organized.

Other - In the beginning, watch out as you're walking through the woods. I understand it's an outdoor trail, but we all got tripped up on some uneven roots. Woods of Terror was my first haunt this season. I didn't come in with any expectations because my experience last year left me feeling uninspired. Well, I can honestly say that this year I was impressed! The entire experience, from the beginning to the end was [terror]ific (in the best way).My entire group was composed of Fright seeker Reviewers so, obviously, we all paid close attention to detail.We made it a point to speak with Eddie before we entered the haunt and I must thank him for upgrading our GA tickets to fast pass tickets! That was generous and I greatly appreciate it.A big part of what made the experience great was the fact that the actors stepped up and were very interactive with their audience. Instead of standing back in the shadows, they were popping out of every corner. They were leering and snarling just inches from my face. More than once, they blocked my exit and wouldn't let me pass. I believe investing time in the interaction instead of just getting us through the scene created a good atmosFEAR.Two of my favorite scenes were the Chainsaw Massacre house and the Pirate Ship. Both were there last year, but I enjoyed them just as much this year. I love that the "ship effect" was extended throughout the scene. The pirate actors were in character and they were in your face the entire scene. I can't say enough about the how the scenes were set because almost all WOT sets are superbly decorated. I wish we hadn't run into another group in the CM house because the group distracted me from being able to put all my attention to my surroundings.Props to the acrobatic/flexible guy in the graveyard. You'll understand that label if you happen to come upon him. He was something interesting indeed.The actress that 'joined' our group for a few scenes was very convincing, before she was kidnapped back into the haunt.There were some standout actors that were so still that they appeared to be fixed props. Great job, because it worked to scare our crew.Improvements I noticed:The fast pass actually did the job it was created for. Even though we ran into a few groups, we were able to bypass a few longer GA lines.No more cubicles in the beginning, just a short video listing the rules and a great scare.No more crawling on my hands and knees through tunnels. I didn't mind bending down, and I appreciated not having dirty hands and clothes.The security personnel were present, but not a distraction.Other thoughts:I wish that the Vampire House was a bit longer. It may be that I'm a huge fan of vampires, but I wanted something more from the first rooms and actors. The MASTER vampire was great, and I could tell the actor was enjoying his role.I was confused with the theater. The first room was great, and loved the whole set. The actual theater was good, but we didn't know whether we were supposed to watch the movie or move on. The girl that was in and out of 'sleep' let us stand there awhile before the first actress yelled for us to move on. Also, I didn't understand the long hallway, and I feel as though I missed something. It may have been that WOT staff was trying fix part of the set, but there were people (not from a group) that weren't dressed in character milling about in the hall and it was distracting.I wish that the hayride would either have had hay to sit on or defined seats. It may vary as to how many people they try to load onto the wagon each time, but it becomes crowded with everyone sitting indian-style. It almost becomes uncomfortable because the actors need a place to walk up and down the length of the wagon and there is nowhere to move your legs to get out of the way.Personally, I'm not a big fan of the hayride theme. I would have rather had "scares" in the traditional sense, but the actors are going for more of the provocative, adult humor theme. I guess sex sells, but be warned, if you're taking anyone under the age of 12 that the hayride is themed towards older teens and adults.

Overall Impression 4.2/5 - I can say that I honestly enjoyed WOT this year and I recommend it to others!

Scare Factor 4/5 - Over the last two years I have realized that itsbecoming harder to scare me, not sure if its age or I'm just too awareof what is around me, but WOT got me before I even entered the firstpart, where rules are reviewed! I jumped several times.

Actors 4/5 - I noticed a big difference in the quality/passion of theactors this year, they were enthusiastic at most scenes. One of myfavorites was the master in the Vampire house. Also, one of the guysin the graveyard...the way he was crouching, it was animal like,interesting and creepy at the same time. Also, sets can be great andprops great, but it's the actors that make it what it is.Set Design/Props/FX 4/5 - Sets were amazing. I love the pirate ship andhow it rocks. The Texas Chainsaw massacre house was richly detailedand actors were really on their mark this year. Air cannons werepretty strong. I still don't understand why the hayride didn't havehay...So glad there was no tunnel to crawl through. I liked that therewere more actors than props.

Length 5/5 - Always one of the longest haunts I have ever been to.This year for our group it was paced a lot better. We didn't run intoas many groups as last year, and definitely did not have to wait forlong periods of time. There wasn't much rushing through, thankfully,because I like to actually take in as much of the sets and actors aspossible.

Other - I don't understand the "plot" of the hayride, and the actorsor setups. Maybe if there was more of a back story, and what doesstripping have to do with scaring people? I still tripped severaltimes, but not too much can be done about tree roots.Overall Impression 4/5 - I would recommend it to everyone, becauseit encompasses such a wide range of scares. Everyone should be able tofind their fear of choice.

Scare Factor - 5/5: I have never jumped so much at a haunt before! I was in a group of 3, and all of us jumped a lot. It was awesome because I actually was on edge and I never get on edge at a haunt! Not every scare is a startle scare; there were several times I was freaked out by something I saw.

Actors - 5/5: The actors at Woods of Terror are spot on! They engage you, they scare you, and they trap you! The determination and the want these actors have to scare you is spot on! The actors never broke character, each had a role and they stuck to it, it was awesome! One actor even followed us through a few of the attractions, and she scared me more than once. I love how the actors never let us fly by a scene, they would keep us in the scene, and that to me is important.

Set Design/Props/FX - 5/5: From the second you walk through the main gate you are submerged into the Woods of Terror experience, and from the second you walk into the first attraction you are submerged into a world of horror. Each attraction is beautiful, from the props, to the set design, to the actors themselves. You must experience Woods of Terror for so many reasons, but you have to see the sets that are there, and the actors. There was an actor in a graveyard (I think it was a graveyard) that was dragging heavy chains, his makeup was so amazing, it scared me just looking at him (that is a first for me) he had blood dripping from his mouth, it was truly chilling. Woods of Terror has tons of attractions and each one is different from the next, each one has incredible props, and each one is designed amazingly. The pirate ship is a must see, the Texas chainsaw massacre house is a must see, they are both unique, and truly incredible.

Length - 5/5: Some of the attractions inside Woods of Terror may be short, but as a whole Woods of Terror is a long haunt, filled with so much to see and experience. When it was over, I was satisfied. The trail is very well organized, and it flows nicely. I really enjoyed not being rushed, and I really enjoyed the actors blocking the exits of a lot of the attractions.

Other: I went into Woods of Terror this season with no expectations, last season I was disappointed overall with the haunt. I met with Eddie (the owner of Woods of Terror) before I went into the haunt. It was nice getting to talk with him and it was nice discussing things with him. The Woods of Terror this season is an incredible experience and I highly recommend it. I think the reviews last year helped make this haunt better this year. They took a lot of the problems that were there last year, and fixed them. There are still some path issues in the beginning of the haunt, I almost fell a few times, and the members in my group got tripped up as well, the path got better as the haunt progressed. I still am a little thrown off by the hayride at the end, there needs to be something to sit on, and there needs to be more scares! The hayride can also offend a lot of people, mostly women. I was confused by the "My Bloody Valentine" attraction, there was no scares inside this attraction, and I did not even see the killer.

Overall - 5/5: Woods of Terror really impressed this season, I jumped more than I ever have at a haunt. I was on edge, and I had a blast! Every member of my group had a great time, we all really enjoyed it. I am proud to be a Frightseeker reviewer because I saw the problems I had with a haunt last season, fixed this season.

Before I start this review I just have to express how much happier I was with WOT this year. It really seems like Eddie took into account all of the stuff that the reviewers from last year suggested.

Scare Factor 4/5: They got me GOOD...I don't scare very easily anymore, but they really got me good at Woods of Terror. The vampire house was my favorite attraction this year probably because I was all but molested by the two male vampires in the back room. The master vampire really seemed to fancy me. The scares were very well timed and caught me off guard more then once.

Actors 4/5: The actors were very on point this year. There were still a few that didn't seem to be too into it, but there were more that were then not. They had a lot of really good actors who got into character really well. The 7 foot tall vampire was amazing! The fact that he had to almost get onto his knees to be neck level to me was impressive! There was also some kind of contortionist in the graveyard that was pretty neat. All of the characters seemed to keep character pretty well and not break it, even when something not planned is said. The friend I was with was asked if he was the father of the voodoo kid and black beard freaked out when he said he didn't know, but he never broke character once.

Set Design/Props/FX 4/5: As always the props are amazing here. The pirate ship is still my favorite even though I was almost thrown to the ground this year. It's fun to walk through and pay attention to all of the small details because they actually pay attention to the small details in this haunt. They are down to the precise details here.

Length 5/5: This is probably one of the longest haunts that I have been to and on top of that, they have added more than one more feature this year. It's not the kind of length that leaves you wondering when it will be over, but the kind that keeps you wondering what is next. It's kind of sad when it's over cause you don't really want it to end.

Overall 4.5/5: I would definitely recommend Woods of Terror to anyone. The price is still a little high, so it would be hard to be a family event. This haunt plays on all different forms of fear. They have a wide variety so anyone would find something here that scares them. I am very impressed with the changes and can't wait to see what is new next year!